Nov 22, 2011

My favorite way to use up leftover turkey is to make a delicious pot of turkey soup. This is also a great way to clean out your refrigerator!

To make the best tasting soup, make your own stock, it's easy! Bones make a rich, flavorful stock; use the leftover turkey carcass along with any leftover turkey meat along with an onion, a few stalks of celery, some garlic, herbs, and anything else you find in your refrigerator and let it simmer on low covered with water for a few hours. Then toss out the bones and vegetables, reserve the turkey and start your soup. There are no exact measurements, use whatever is in your refrigerator, or of course you can use canned stock or broth instead.

I typically use as suggested above, the turkey bone and bits attached. Add the carrot,celery and onion, cover with water and boil, then simmer. When done, remove everything and refrigerate. Pick the bones to use the meat and discard everything else. When you get ready to make the soup, add any vegetables you would like to use in the soup and any turkey. I would at this time add any strained juice from pan which has been loosened with a little water (deglaze).

Question: I make Hen Broth to use to prepare my Cornbread Dressing with, as it is much richer in flavor, etc... for that use. Do you know if Hen Broth in itself is higher in calories and/or points versus Chicken Broth? There is no added fat to it, I use 2 5 lb hens, carrots, onion, celery, tomatoes, and some salt and simmer for 3 hours. If I used it as a soup base I would definitely skim the fat off. How do you determine points for Chicken Broth/Stock vs Hen Broth/Stock vs Turkey Broth/Stock? Thanks Gina! This soup looks awesome!

Hi Gina!!! This was the perfect way to use the rest of meat on the bone on my brined turkey breast and all those pesky leftover onions, celery, carrots and fresh parsley I had in fridge!!!! I am so lucky to have you as my Go-To!!! And thanks again for walking me through my first turkey endeavor- it came out excellent and so juicy- you really did help me stay calm too!!! Ok got to go now -SOUPS ON!!!!! Smells heavenly :)

Hi Gina, I have never ever posted on a blog before but have to let you know that I cooked your Turkey, lightened up stuffing, sweet potato brulee, and parmesan green beans for my In-Laws in Australia (for a belated Thanksgiving). It was amazing! Everyone loved the food. So good to know it wasn't blowing the calories out as well.

Thank you so much for doing what you do. The combination of fresh ingredients and flavours along with the WeightWatchers points in inspiring. Please keep them coming!

Love your site! Just wondering about the calories/points for this recipe. I make a very similar soup and when I analyzed your recipe through the software I use, I came up with 235 calories, 6 g fat, 13 g carbs, 2 g fiber and 30 g protein, which equates to 5 PointsPlus?

This was fabulous, Gina! I had to come back and make sure everyone knows this is a wonderful low-point soup option. It's pretty much the same as Panera Bread's chicken noodle soup, but a lot cheaper! :-) I will definitely be making this with shredded chicken in the future (even though I just love leftover turkey; I wish I had it around a lot more often). Thanks for a great lunch recipe for this week!

I'm not a huge chicken and noodle soup fan (unless I'm sick). But I needed something quick and easy to use my leftover turkey. I do what I always do and check your website and saw this recipe and decided why not? I have to admit this was wonderful!!! As Angela said just like Panera's chicken noodle soup. Extremelly filling! Thanks for the time you take to share your wonderful recipes. I have loved all that I have tried!!

@Angela I am thinking of trying this with the roasted turkey breast from my local grocery. I also love turkey and luckily they have not only the fresh roasted chickens but the fresh roasted turkey breasts as well. I love not having to wait for holiday time for turkey. And now I can also have turkey soup!

This was delicious! I used your directions to make stock the other day, so I was excited to make the soup to go with it. I did tweak just a little bit - I added an additional 2 c stock, a 15 ounce can of corn, drained, (because that's what my mom does), and an additional ounce of noodles. It served 3, with about a quart leftover, so I don't think I changed the point value much. I'll make this next time my son is sick - chicken noodle is his favorite comfort food. Thanks!

I stumbled upon this site when I was looking for a cream of broccoli soup. Be still my heart! I tried the "Chicken Parmesan." It was fabulous! I picked up ingredients to make "Baked Potato Soup." I shared this site with my WW friends.

This turned out so so very good, I used 4 oz of whole wheat noodles because that is what I had so I am just going to give it 4 PP. The whole house smells so good and I have lunch all week and believe me this is a soup kinda week...

I made 3 batches of this soup after Thanksgiving (it was so good after the first that I decided to forgo the turkey sandwiches and use ALL leftover Turkey in this soup). I froze in 16oz plastic Ball freezer jars. I'm now dwindling down to my last 2 containers and I'm sad. It freezes wonderfully!

Skinnytaste strikes again! Another keeper :) I always thought that "real" soup probably involved a big meat bone in a pot that stewed for hours on the stove. I was skeptical of this recipe since it doesn't meet that criteria. But lo and behold--soup's on!! This was tasty and such a winter weather comfort! I omitted celery and substituted what I had on hand (cabbage, broccoli, crimini mushroom slices, scallions). Meatwise I added some diced leftover holiday ham (for salt) with the turkey. I used boxed broth but added some homemade frozen stock cubes. Spicewise I added cayenne pepper, garlic + onion powder, and 1 tbsp. dried parsley. From this recipe I learned that good homemade soup doesn't have to labor on the stove all day long for it to be "real" or real good!

Also, wanted to add to my post that instead of egg noodles I just used about a cup of elbow macaroni. And that I had fresh corn on the cob so I cut the kernels off 1 cob to put in the soup and I loved the crunch it added to the soup. They did not get soft or mushy like the canned stuff probably would.